Murray Admits He Didn't Achieve the Desired Outcomes with Djokovic

Andy Murray has revealed that he "probably failed to achieve the results I would have liked" during his brief tenure mentoring his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his professional career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration dissolved after only half a year.

In his first-ever coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and a handful of other tournaments.

"It's a job coaching not only one of the best tennis players but one of the best athletes of all time, so my assumption was that it was going to be immensely difficult," Murray said in an interview.

He went on to say, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he tackles his tennis, [it] is highly intense."

Reflecting on the Period

Looking back, Murray stated that he is pleased he took on the role. "It's an incredible experience that I've had," he observed.

During their time together, Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to make the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was forced to retire due to injury from his match against Alexander Zverev.

Subsequently, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced early exits in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before falling in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

"It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play extraordinary tennis in that tournament," Murray noted.

"After the injury, it was undoubtedly a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us. I was disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I gained valuable insight about what coaching involves."

A Challenging Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also disclosed an incident from his first day on the job, when he was told to join Djokovic on a run. He endured calf cramps so as not to let down his fellow former world number one—a moment he described as "humiliating."

Reflecting on his own successful playing career, Murray reflected he "would have taken more breaks" to savour his successes, including after his two Olympic gold medals.

Views on the Tennis Tour

The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his later years, had opposed increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, believing the increased time on the road would negatively impact players.

"I don't think there's anything that shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more weary and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray stated.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My view is that's what players are sensing now, just being away for longer.

"I don't think the matches are so much more demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the amount of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."